Last night, I probably saw on of the best films of the summer and possibly the year. If you’re not a fan of action or fast cars, then you probably didn’t rush to the theatre to see the new Fast and Furious movie. Not only did it have me on the edge of my seat with all my dream rides whizzing by on the big screen, but the dialogue was hilarious and superb. At the end of the movie, I felt ready to race the first person that pulled up next to me at a red light. However, I think there was a bigger message tied into this franchise that I never realized before.

To the average person, they just think of Vin Diesel acting like a L.A. thug and The Rock screaming and grunting as he flexes his muscles. But from the viewpoint of someone that has seen all of the movies in the series, I realized the big message tying everything together was family.

No matter what ridiculous situation they were in or how tall the odds were stacked against them, nothing was going to separate this family of street racers. Each one of them were willing to sacrifice their own life, if it meant saving a person they cared about. From the first time Paul Walker turned himself in so Vin could escape the cops to the most recent film, this unspoken bond they all shared was unbreakable. And the crazy part of it all is that this family was thicker than most circles of people that are actually related to each other.

Even a blue alien can be part of someone’s real family. ( credit: Wikipedia)

So as I drove back home holding my girlfriend’s hand, I found a new appreciation for all the people that are in my life today. Family doesn’t’ have to just be the ones we have blood ties to. I am truly blessed to have a wonderful mother that cares about me, but our families can extend to the anyone that will always be there for us. If you really think about it, our relationships don’t even have to be a human. Some of man’s best friends are a dog, cat, pet, or even a blue alien called Stitch that was taught the meaning of family by a little Hawaiian girl named Lilo . In the end, there will be a few friends and family members that came and go in our life without warning. It just means we should even be more thankful for even that one person we can say will ride and die by our side.

I don’t even consider Tokyo Drift to be part of the franchise. I don’t even know what that was after I watched it. I think they just put that in there to fill space between the next adventure with Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. Everyone loves the action, but I think the reason people really enjoy it is the camaraderie they all build throughout everything.

Hey I loved this post. I was saying the exact thing myself coming out of the cinema having loved the latest instalment. I was like ‘how can a movie get to number 6 and still be amazing (if not gradually better)’? It’s because they’ve got it just right and cater for all audiences. It’s for women as much as it is men, and this is why it works. We have fallen in love with all the characters and long to have a family unit like theirs. You’re right, it’s so much more than fast cars, semi-naked women and muscle-bound men. I was first in the ticket line when I heard Michelle Rodrigez was back! Cannot wait for number 7. Jason Statham will only add to the amazingness I’m sure! 🙂

I agree with you. I don’t know any other movie franchise that has kept the franchise running this long without getting dry. I think it is because we all connect with the characters and the message behind it all. I can’t wait for the new one, sorry if this comment spoiled anything for anyone.

I went to see this with some of my ‘extended’ family. There are not blood to me but but they are family anyway. When we were leaving I was the only one not on some kind of adrenaline high. They asked how that movie couldn’t have made me want to go and race cars. (1. I don’t trust cars, I’m a truck girl and 2. I want a track and a car built for it for I’m gonna do it) I told them because it wasn’t a movie about racing cars, it was a movie about reuniting a family. They were in awe of the assessment. It made the person who gave me a ride to the theater rethink the whole series.